Item retaining mechanism for accounting machines



Feb. 2, 1954 w. A. ANDERSON 2,668,010

ITEM RETAINING MECHANISM FOR ACCOUNTING MACHINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 23, 1950 WALTERAANDERSON BY A TTORNEV Feb. 2, 1954 w. A. ANDERSON 2,668,010

ITEM RETAINING MECHANISM FOR ACCOUNTING MACHINES Filed D80. 25, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 H II C INVENTOR.

| WALTER A. ANDERSON Patented Feb. 2, 1954 ITEMILETAININIG MECHANISMIEOR ACCOUNTING MACHINES" Walter, A'rAnderson, Bridgeport; Gonnl, assignor torUnder-wood Corporation, New,Y;ork-, N. Y.,a corporation'of Delaware Application=December23, 1950; 'SerialNo; 20%;465

1 Claim. .1:

This invention-relates to adding-and accounting m'achines andmoreparticularly to an improved mechanismto retain indexed itemsinthe' indexing mechanism during total cycles.

One-object of the-presentinvention is'to provide-ina ten key accounting machine,-a mechanism---capable-of-retaining indexed items duringtotal andsub-total cycles.-

Another object is-to-provide an indexing mechanism normally ineffective to-control the register actuators and which need not bereset priorto totaland-su'o-total operations.

A further object ofthe invention is to-provide in an accounting machine having automatic function controlling mechanism, means to temporarily disable Y the normalcontrol of the indexing mechanism over the actuating means to permit takingof-totals-while an itenr is set in the indexing devices.

Still' another object is theprovision in an accountingmachineofautomatic mechanism to repeat printkey -set items interspersedwithautomatictotal taking operations.

With these and other objects in view, the present invention consists in certain novelfeatures ofconstruction and combination of parts, the important elementsof which-are included in a description of a preferred embodiment of the invention hereinafter set forth with reference tov the accompanying drawings in which,

Figure 1*is-a right-hand side elevation showing the mechanism in its initial position,

Figure 2 is apartial right side elevation-show,- ingthe machine athalf cycle during sub-totalling or-totallingoperations.

Figure 3' is atop plan view showing the relative positions-of the parts in normalposition.

Thepresent invention is described herein as embodied inan accounting machine similar in construction to the machine disclosed'in Patent No; 2,194,270, issued to O. J. Sundstrand on March 19, 1940, to which'patent reference may be'hadfor details of construction not fully describedherein.

Machines'of this character include, generally, anumeralkeyboard, type bars for printing the amount set up'in" the numeral keys, totalizers'for computing and accumulating amounts set up in the-numeral" keys, function controlling keys ,and' automatically operated controls; for conditioning themachine 'foradding and subtracting operations, andenabling, sub-totalling and totallingof' the amounts accumulated in the totalizers. The machinealso includes a cylindrical platen carriedin a traveling paper carriage arrangedfor tabulation to various columnar positions andv for return to its-initial position.

Referring to Figure l of the drawings, a repre- Sentative: one of the ten numeral keys is illustrated at 0. slidablemovement in a frame H aflixedin'the machine base, and normally engages a cradle II by alug l3.on the key, said cradle I2 being piv otally supported in bushings M in the frame H.

A link l5, see also Figure 3, connects :thecradle I2 and a rocker arrn l6. Pivotallyconneeted to a swinging arm 26.

3', of a block 24. Block 24 is slidably supported on a shaft 25 and is acted upon by an escape-- ment mechanism (not shown) which, upon the depression of one of the keys Iii, indexes the block 24 rightwardly on the shaft 25 denomination by denomination. During the indexing movement of the block 2 the swinging arm 26,

by means of the slot 23 and the pin 22, rotates. clockwise, to place the piungers [8 in alignmentwith-one line of a field of stops 2% slidably supported in a frame 21 fixed in the machine.

Upon thedepressions of akey liithe plunger I8 is moved rearwardly, by means of the cradle 12, the-link i5 and the rocker arm 16, to strike the stop-26 with which it is aligned and move the stop 23 into an eifective position with respect to a line of tail'pins 28. The tail pins 23 are supported for vertical sliding movement in a block 29, and are slidably connected to swinging arms tiipivoted on the lower ends of type barsB-l. Type bars 31 are mounted for vertical slidable movement on a bar 32, Figure 1, aiiixed in the machine frame and carry type 33 for printing amounts on Work pieces supported by a platen 34.

Thestops 26- are reset to their initial position by a cam post 99on block 24 during the return of swinging arm 29 and block 24 to their'initial position which normally occurs near the end of each machine cycle. During certain operations of the machine, it is desirable to retain the amountset up by the numeral keys in during a plurality of successive machine cycles. Such repeat entering of theindexed amount is old in the 'art and fully-described in Figures 10 to 12 ofthe above Sundstrand Patent No. 2,194,270

and will be but briefly described herein. Referringto-Figure 3, a link I00 is-connected'between swinging arm 26 and onearm ofga bell .cranlc' I01 pivoted onthe' machine base; A link The-key I0 is mountedfor vertical I 02 pivoted on the other arm of bell crank I extends rearwardly and is biased into the path of a power operated arm I03 by a spring I04. Near the end of each machine cycle, arm I03 normally strikes link I02 to rock bell crank |0I and through link I00 restore arm 20 to its normal position shown in Figure 3.

To prevent such restoration of arm 20, the rear end of link I02 may be moved out of the path of arm I03 by rocking a bell crank I05 pivoted on a stud I06. Bell crank I05 has a stud I01 normally free of link I02 but which stud will, upon counterclockwise rotation of hell crank I05, engage the left side of link I02 and move it out of the path of arm I03. Bell crank I05 may be moved to the disabling position by a manually operable repeat key I08 or by a carriage operated slide I09 having a depending stud 0 contacting an arm of bell crank I05. Key I08 when depressed cams a slide III to the left to rock a lever II2 clockwise to engage an ear M3 on the forward arm of bell crank I05 and. thereby rock link I02 to the ineffective position.

In some forms of accounting work, it is desirable to print a crossfooter sub-total on a form between the first printing of an item and a repeat printing of that item. In prior machines of this type, this could not be done for during the total taking operation, the usual crossfooter 6, Figure 1, is engaged with racks I I! connected to type bars 3 I, to limit in conjunction with the customary transfer mechanism I I0, the rise of type bars 3I. In such machines, the block 29 for tail pins 28 must be in the normal position to prevent a set pin 26 from interfering with the movement of type bars 3|, and restoration of block 29 to such a position effected a resetting of pins 26 by the reset post 99 on block 24.

The present invention provides means whereby a total or sub-total of the amounts entered into the crossfooter II 6 may be taken and printed while the debit or credit amount set up in the stops 26 by the keys I0 is retained for repeat printing at a later time. To this end the tail pin block 29 is firmly secured to a formed member 35 slidable on screws 36 in the block 24. Block 24 and member 35 supported thereon are slidable on shaft 25, and member 35 has secured to its lower edge a pair of rollers 37, engaged in a transverse channel 38 forming part of a member 39 slidably supported on screws 40 in a shelf 4| affixed to the frame 2'! and on a shaft 42 rigidly supported in the frame. Depending lugs 43 on member 39 are pivotally connected to links 45 which are connected at their forward ends with depending legs of a bracket 49. The bracket 49 is secured to a cradle 50, pivotally supported on the shaft 42 and having an upstanding arm at its right end. A link 53 is pivoted to the upstanding arm of cradle 50 and is provided at its other end with a slot 54 in which is positioned a pin 55, affixed in a lever 56 pivoted in the machine frame. A spring 58 connected between pin 55 and a stud 51 in link 53 normally holds link 53 with the forward end of its slot 54 in engagement with pin 55. Lever 56 is tensioned by a spring 63 to a counterclockwise position wherein normally, that is, with the machine in its initial position, a roller 59 secured to lever 55 rests in a step 60 provided in a cam member 6! rigidly secured on the machine main rock shaft 62. With lever 56 in this position, the cradle 50 is positioned in its counterclockwise position, Figure 1, the links 45 holding block 29 in its rearward position with the pins 28 out of vertical alignment with any of the, stops 26 which may have been extended by the depression of the keys I0.

The main rock shaft 62 rocks counterclockwise as seen in the drawings through an arc of approximately for the forward stroke and returns through the same arc during the return stroke of the machine cycle.

During an item entering operation of the machine and immediately upon the start of the forward stroke of the shaft 62, the cam 6| forces the roller 59 rearwardly to move the lever 56 clockwise against the urge of spring 63. Since the lever 56 is yieldably connected by spring 58 with the link 53, link 53 is drawn rearwardly thereby to rock the cradle 50 to its rearward position, as shown in dot and dash line in Figure l, whereupon, by means of the links 45, the member 39 is drawn forwardly. As the rollers 31 are in engagement with the channel 38 in the member 39 at all times, the member 35 is also drawn forwardly to position the block 29, and the tail pins 28 supported thereby under such stops 26 as may have been extended by the keys I0. During the remainder of the cycle, the type bars 3| and tail pins 28 rise against the set stops 26 to position the proper type 33 for printing the indexed amount. At the end of the return stroke of shaft 62, roller 59 drops into step 69 of cam 6i to permit spring 53 to return block 29 and tail pins 28 to their initial position.

In prior machines of the type described, a total or sub-tota1 printing operation must be preceded by a spacing stroke or blank cycle to reset the transfer mechanism |I8 for crossfooter H6 and to engage the crossfooter I I6 with the racks II'I corresponding to the sign of the total contained in the crossfooter.

Normally, in such prior machines the spacing stroke or blank cycle is taken when all of the stops 26 are reset to their initial position and the block 24 is fully returned to its extreme leftward position, as shown in Figure 3. In this position, the tail pins 29 of the prior machines are under a 0 stop plate 6'! which prevents any type bar 3| from moving more than one step from the restored position to the 0 printing position. During the movement of type bars 3| to 0 printing position, any rack bar I I! which had been released by a transfer stop pawl H9 is lifted sufficiently to enable the transfer stop pawl H8 to be restored by its conventional restoring means, to the rack restraining position shown during the first half machine cycle. All racks II! are thus latched at the 0 position during such blank cycle. During the second half of the machine cycle, the crossfooter I I6 is reengaged by a mechanism described in the above patent with the add or subtract racks I H to enable a total of the correct sign to be taken in the next cycle.

In the present embodiment, however, the blank stroke and the total cycle are, when the machine is set to repeat an item, to be taken Without a change in the indexed position of block 24 and without resetting of stops 29. Tail pins 28 are not then all under 0 stop plate 61 and means must be provided to prevent type bars 3| from rising above the "0 position during the blank cycle. To prevent such rise of type bars 3|, a sector lock is provided which is identical in construction and mode of operation with that disclosed in Patent No. 2,308,144, issued to W. A. Anderson on January 12, 1943. The sector lock includes, generally, a member 10, Figure 1, pivotally supported on a shaft II in the machine frame. A roller 12, secured thereto, is tensioned by a spring 13 to bear against a cam member 14 pivotally supported in the machine frame and acted upon by an automatic control, not shown herein, actuated from the traveling paper carriage. A depending leg 15, forming part of the member is normally held by spring 13 in a position clear of the rear ends 16 of the type bars 3|, as is illustrated in Figure 1. During carriage controlled blank cycle operations, the carriage depresses the automatic control operating the cam member 14, causing member 14 to cam roller 12 and member 10 clockwise to position depending leg 15 over the rear end 16 of the type bars 3| and prevent their rising above the 0 position during this cycle.

Since, as previously described, the tail pins 28 are normally moved by the cam 6| to underlie the stops 26, the present invention provides means to prevent such movement during the taking of a sub-total, or total, from the crossfooter H6 to leave the type bars free to rise under the control of the adding wheels above. For this purpose the crossfooter total control slide H, the crossfooter sub-total control slide 88 and control slide 18 which is provided to enable the taking of a total from the rear registers (not shown) are each provided with a depending lug 19, Figures 1, 2 and 3. Pivotally supported on a rod 80 fixed in a bracket 8| on the machine base is a cradle 82 having a forward upstanding portion extending into the path of movement of the lugs I9. Forming part of the member 82 is a leaf 84 extending rearwardly to normally rest on a lug 85, forming part of the bracket Bl. A spring 88 connected between the bracket 8| and cradle 82 normally holds the leaf 84 of cradle 82 just clear of an extended portion of the right leg of bracket 49, to normally enable movement of the tail pins 28 to printing position during item entering operations as above described.

When a crossfooter total or sub-total or a register total is to be printed, the corresponding slide 71, 88 or 78 is moved forwardly either by the manual operation of control keys 89, 90 and 9| through their cradles 92 or automatically from the carriage as in Patent No. 2,194,270 above. Upon the forward movement of any of the total control slides 11, 18 or 88, the lug l9 thereon strikes the upstanding forward portion of member 82, to rock the member counterclockwise and place the leaf 84 forming part thereof in front of the lower right arm of bracket 49, to prevent rocking of cradle 50 by the lever 56, during the following machine cycle as shown in Figure 2. During cycling of the machine and. the consequent rocking of the lever 56 by the cam 6| the pin 55 rides freely in the slot 54 of link 53, stretching the spring 58, while the leaf 8|, under the urge of the stretched spring 68,

6 holds the cradle 50, slide 39 and tail pins 28 firmly in their normal rearward position where they are free of the set stops 26 during the rise of the type bars 31 to position to print the total amount.

After printing of such a total the carriage may be tabulated to another columnar position wherein the amount retained in the stops 26 may be repeat printed and the stops 26 reset during the return stroke of the machine cycle.

The above description is of a preferred embodiment only of the invention and is not to be taken in a limiting sense as the invention is susceptible of use in many different machines without departing from the principle thereof. The scope of the invention is to be limited only by the following claim.

What is claimed is:

In an accounting machine of the class described having a register, printing members, a plurality of inclexable stops arranged denominationally in rows, feeler members connected to said printing members and shiftable across said field of stops into alignment with successive denominational rows thereof, a guide slidably supporting said feeler members and shiftable therewith, a block member slidable in a direction across said rows of indexable stops, a shifting member mounted on said block to shift said guide and said feelers, said member being shiftable on said block in a direction perpendicular to the plane of said stops, a channel member also shiftable in said perpendicular direction, means on said shifting member engaged in said channel member, members including a resilient connection operated by said cycling means to shift said. channel member and thereby said feeler members toward said field of stops prior to advance of said printing members whereby the indexed ones of said stops will differentially limit movement of said printing members, a total control member operable to enable said register to limit movement of said printing members, and means operable by said total control member to lock said channel member against movement by said cyclically operating members, enabling said register alone to limit movement of said printing members.

WALTER, A. ANDERSON.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,303,692 Hellgren Dec. 1, 1942 2,308,144 Anderson Jan. 12, 1943 2,515,692 Boyden et a1. July 18, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 666,599 Germany Oct. 24, 1938 

